With the advent of computers, interactive electronic communications, and the Internet, as well as advances in the digital realm of consumer information, has come a reinvention of conventional techniques for remotely monitoring consumer assets, environments, locations, processes, and the like. Traditionally, remote monitoring techniques have been limited to specific monitoring networks, such as dedicated security system networks that are particularly designed to determine whether or not an intruder has entered an unauthorized space. However, with readily available, cost-effective broadband services, bandwidth intensive applications, and reductions in cost of computing equipment, new more advanced techniques for remote monitoring are desired.
Furthermore, telecommunication service providers are finding it increasingly more challenging to leverage their existing resources. Yet, as increasing numbers of individuals migrate from the use of traditional communications based technologies to synergistic multimedia platforms, traditional telecommunications service providers are being challenged to develop new services and features in order to remain competitive, as well as develop new sources of revenue to support their aging infrastructures. One relatively untapped market for telecommunication service providers is that of instant communication services.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides more effective and convenient techniques to providing managed remote monitoring services that also enable telecommunication service providers to generate new sources of revenue through existing technologies.